Im so happy to be able to bring you guys something so special today! Its no secret that I have loved for a while The Harmatia Cycle Series by M.E.Vaughan. My original review for book one, The Sons of Thestian can still be found here. Recently I got the chance to talk to Madeleine a little bit and dig into some of her inspirations for the series, how she approaches being a writer and what makes her brilliant mind tick.
The Sons Of Thestian is a fantasy novel that draws a lot of inspiration from Celtic lore and mythology. Has that always been a topic you’ve been interested in?
My interest in Celtic lore and mythology dates back to my childhood, when I latched onto the Arthurian myths, and fell in-love with those tales of magic and chivalry. Being a fan of cryptids and creatures, I was very fond of faeries—especially the dangerous kind. It wasn’t long before I’d discovered the Tuatha de Danaan and the Irish heroes like Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Oisín.
I have been entranced by the weird and wonderful stories that haunt the ruins, moors, rivers and mountains of the British Isles since.
What was your process for taking that mythos and making it your own?
I think I tried to take the themes and the structure of the myths, pinching small bits and pieces and throwing them into the cooking pot along with my own original content. For me, it had to be a marriage between something completely new and something very, very old. The nice part is that the Celtic mythos really lends itself to that—it’s just so wide, so vivid and imaginative, you feel like you can just fall into it.
The family ties that bind in this novel are complex from beginning to end. Was having a familial focus intentional or organically grown while writing.
It was definitely intentional. I was a little fed up of romance, to the point that The Sons of Thestian almost picks fun at those ‘perfect’ relationships, the effortless ‘we were destined to be together’ ones that just seemed to surround me as a teenager. My own family dynamic inspired parts of The Sons of Thestian, as well as the relationship with my friends. I guess I just wanted to show that love is so much bigger than romance, and isn't always simple or even good for you. I wanted a story about the complicated love between parents and child, between siblings, and between friends.
You use magic in such new and interesting ways in this book. Was creating that magic system the start of your process or did that grow while the story did?
The other day I came across my old sketchbook, which contained the first diagrams I did whilst piecing the world, religious and magical system for Harmatia. I put a great deal of thought into it—so much so, that lots of it never even made it into the book. So I definitely had a strong premise when I started…That being said, the magic did grow as the world did, and I think it will continue to do so!
Your characters are all so unique so each has to have their own up and downside, but which do you find you’re most protective over when your writing them?
This is a hard one, because I am protective of all of them—it can’t be said any of them act without reason. Each one has endured, and suffered things which have moulded them into what they are.
I think I have to be protective of Rufus, because he’s a character who wouldn’t protect himself, especially when it came to his faults, because he’s hyper critical of himself.
Similarly, I have very defensive of Zachary. Zachary tends to exaggerate his own faults, painting himself as a villain to the point where he even believes it himself…But deep down, he wants to be good, he just doesn’t believe he’s allowed to be. He has to be the villain, so someone else can be the hero.
Do you have a typical writing process?
Rather disappointingly I don’t have any special ritual when it comes to writing itself. I literally will just plonk myself down into bed, throw on some music and just type. I do however have a pretty fun thing I do when I’m plotting.
I call it ‘Dragoning’. When there’s a big fight-scene, I will plug myself into my MP3, throw on some epic music, and walk through the scene. This often involves waving my arms around wildly, pretending to wield a sword, jumping around, and kicking things…The reason it’s called ‘Dragoning’ is because, whilst envisioning the battle between a man and a dragon, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and realised that in my excitement, I’d actually started pretending to be the dragon too. Arms flapping around my head, jaw thrown open to breathe fire, back arched like a feral animal—I was jolly glad no one walked in on me.
When did you first decide, this author thing, I’m going for it?
We had an author talk in my school. The wonderful Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries came and spoke to us. I had already read the first few books and was so excited to meet her.
And as she stood there, talking about her job and her writing, my heart just filled and it was the first time I realised that I could actually do something with all the stories I told myself…And from that point, I wanted to be a writer. Never mind that I was dyslexic and had a reading age several years younger than the rest of my class, never mind that my teachers told me to be ‘more realistic’, never mind that I didn’t know the first place to start…I just wrote. And I’ve never stopped since.
Since first being published, do you approach reading for pleasure any differently then you did before?
I think, since being published I find it easier to read for pleasure again. This was also because, until recently, I was also doing my degree and further studies, which got in the way. I think the main thing that changed for me, however, was that I discovered the biggest un-kept secret in the writing community. As an author, other authors and books are not your enemy. You don’t have to see them as competition, and you don’t need to be afraid or intimidated by them either.
I teach a module of reading as a writer, and there are lots of different ways to do it. Some people only read in their genre, some people only read outside of it, some people analyse use of pace, structure, plot, whilst others are occupied with themes, characters, or visuals…There’s no wrong way. You just need to find what works for you. I did, and I am so much happier for it.
Any advice you have for those aspiring authors out there?
It’s so superbly cliché, but my best advice is to keep writing. Write, even if you don’t feel like it. Constantly ask yourself that magic question of ‘What if?’ and take inspiration from every walk of life. “What if the leaves on my tree were blue?” or “What if I’d missed the bus?” or “What if I discovered I was half-alien?”
Secondly, submit your writing. Enter competitions, join communities, find a trusted beta-reader and be open to constructive critisim. Don’t be discouraged by one objection, or two, or three, or twenty…
And finally remember, you are not a one trick pony. Know when to keep working on one project, but don’t limit yourself to it. You are a writer—your manuscript may be good, but you’re the creator and you’re bigger than any one story.
Most used emoji
😊
Your drink of choice for reading and writing
Tea, or juice, and very occasionally a glass of mead or wine…!
A place you dream of visiting
I have been very fortunate, in that I have travelled a lot…That being said, there are some places that I still desperately want to visit. I long to see more of Ireland and Cornwall, I am desperate to go to Scotland and Norway, and I want to see Spain, and Greece, and Italy…I just want to find folk-stories, faeries and history.
Which of your characters would you most like to have a night out on the town with?
Oh hell, I have no idea! I bet I’d have a great time with Rufus, since he and I are probably the same amount inverted. We’d probably have a laugh, go perform some music, take a scenic walk, talk for hours, eat some amazing food, and end the evening at home, reading. He’s ideal friend materiel.
Top five books you personally think everyone needs to go out and read ASAP?
Oh! OK—
I Belong to the Earth (Unveiled #1) by J.A. Ironside, because I am inlove with the series, and it just keeps getting better and better.
Six of Crows // Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, because it’s probably the finest YA duology I have ever read, and I think I will inevitably be sucked back in.
The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol, because it’s an adorable children’s book which is a charming mix of Harry Potter and The Worst Witch.
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, because I’m a sucker for sarcastic wizards and urban fantasy.
A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas, because I’m utterly predictable and can’t stay away from those faeries and retold fairy-tales.
You can get copies of
The Sons Of Thestian here and Blood Of The Delphi here. (As well as on Book Depository for those international book lovers)
And you can find more about both the author and her books here.
